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Brazil def Philippines, 71-60 [Semifinals | 2024 FIBA OQT | July 6, 2024]

Gilas Pilipinas’ aspirations to secure a berth in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games were dashed following a 71-60 loss to Brazil in the semifinals of the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, held on a tense Saturday at the Arena Riga in Latvia.

Justin Brownlee spearheaded the valiant effort of the Philippines with a commendable performance, amassing 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and a pivotal steal. Dwight Ramos offered robust support with 13 points, three assists, and three rebounds.

Contributions also poured in from June Mar Fajardo, who notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, adding two assists to his tally. CJ Perez echoed Fajardo’s scoreline, while also gathering three rebounds, swiping three steals, and distributing two assists.

Brazil initially found themselves trailing by 12 points but managed to close the first half down just 33-27, setting the stage for a fiery comeback in the third quarter. An explosive 8-0 run early in the period saw the Brazilians seize a 35-33 lead.

From there, Brazil’s defense tightened, restricting Gilas to a mere six points for the remainder of the quarter while amassing 24 points themselves. They leveraged this surge of momentum through the fourth quarter, extending their lead to a formidable 67-51.

The Nationals managed to narrow Brazil’s lead to 11 and were on the cusp of reducing it further, but Kevin Quiambao’s crucial miss on an open lay-in proved costly.

Marcelinho Huertas, former Los Angeles Lakers guard, was instrumental in Brazil’s second-half dominance, scoring 13 points—11 of which came in the critical final 20 minutes—along with seven assists.

Earlier, the Philippines had overturned an initial 7-2 disadvantage to take an 8-7 lead, courtesy of consecutive three-pointers by Ramos. This sparked a run, culminating in a 22-12 lead by the end of the first quarter, buoyed by Fajardo’s dominance in the paint.

Key contributions from Yago Santos, former Chicago Bull Cristiano Felicio, Georginho De Paula, and Didi Louzada helped Brazil close the gap significantly by halftime.

Bruno Caboclo, former Toronto Raptor, topped the scoring for Brazil with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. Lucas Dias also contributed significantly with 10 points.

Despite the bitter end to their campaign, Gilas Pilipinas can return home with their heads held high, having delivered a series of commendable performances against some of the globe’s elite basketball nations—most notably their unexpected victory over the host nation in the opening game of the qualifiers.

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